


Lights of Home

by the_technicolor_whiscash



Category: Twin Peaks
Genre: Based somewhere during season one, Confessions of love, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Road Trip, Sightseeing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-23 05:32:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14928062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_technicolor_whiscash/pseuds/the_technicolor_whiscash
Summary: Work on the Laura Palmer case doesn’t exactly leave much room for free time. Dale convinces Harry to take a half day off, and they travel around Twin Peaks, seeing everything the town has to offer.





	Lights of Home

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in one sitting on the couch at three am so if there are any issues that is why

Special Agent Dale Cooper was tired. Not in the physical way, though then again, he had had another questionable night of sleep because of the delightful Icelanders staying on his floor. But no, this exhaustion was more emotional. He had done murder cases before. Even ones nearly as weird as the Laura Palmer case. But for some reason, this case felt different. He didn’t know whether it was because she had been so young when she died, or how it seemed to affect not just those close to her, but the entire town. 

Twin Peaks was, without a doubt, the weirdest town that Dale had ever been to. But that didn’t mean it was bad. If anything, it kept him far more entertained than a boring, plain rural farmtown, like so many he had been to before. No, Twin Peaks was special. The people, the buildings, the trees, nothing in Twin Peaks was like any other town he had been to. 

And there was something else that Twin Peaks had, that nowhere else had. That was one Sheriff Harry S. Truman, a delightful man with the same name as a president. Harry was… how to describe Harry? He epitomized all of the good, non-freaky things about Twin Peaks. He might not have seemed like much, but he was doing a fantastic job on the Palmer case. 

Oh, and Dale Cooper was falling in love with him. 

It wasn’t like Dale had planned on running into town and subsequently falling for its charming sheriff. He came here to solve a murder. The love thing, that all happened secondhand. 

It wasn’t his fault, either. It was definitely Harry’s fault, with those dramatic curls and willingness to listen to different theories and methods, no matter how illogical. Clearly, Harry should not have been so cute. And handsome. And all of those other adjectives people use to describe other people that they’re in love with. 

Thus, Dale was caught in a predicament. He was in love with a man who didn’t love him back. A man he would have to leave, once the investigation was over and the murderer found. A man who knew him better than almost anyone else on earth. A man who knew his coffee order (however basic) and made sure to get one to him every morning. 

So yes, Dale was tired. He could definitely have used some time off. But that would have to wait until Laura’s killer was found. 

Another day began, slow as ever, and Dale walked into the Sheriff’s Department. Lucy the receptionist was sleepily watching that new daytime drama, and barely acknowledged his presence. 

“Morning, Lucy.” Dale said. “Anything happen while I’ve been gone?”

“Nothing that matters. Though you did get a call from a guy, a guy who gave me a number for you to call him back. I think he had kind of a Boston accent, though I couldn’t be sure, since he said he was from the FBI’s office down in DC.” She held out a note with a phone number written on it. “He said you could call him back whenever, but you probably should do it sooner rather than later, if he is your boss or higher up or something.”

“I know who it is. Thanks, Lucy.” He took the note and shoved it into his breast pocket. Dale knew he wouldn’t actually call them back. He didn’t need to. They would just call again tomorrow. 

“Morning, Cooper.” Said Hawk, as Dale progressed further into the office. “Harry’s in his office.”

“Thanks.” Dale replied. He entered Harry’s office with a light knock on the door, and was greeted by Harry, his head bowed over a pile of reports. “Get much sleep last night?”

“You know I didn’t. I’ve been going over the different reports, trying to see if there’s anything further that can help us out.”

“I doubt there’s anything in there that field work won’t be able to tell us. I was thinking we might hit up Leo’s place, ask him whatever questions come to mind.”

Harry sighed. “I haven’t even had a full night of sleep since the poor girl was murdered, much less a weekend.” 

Dale knew how that felt. “Then take the day off. I can handle the investigation for the day.”

“No way. If you’re working, I’m working.”

“Hmm.” Dale pondered for a moment. “Then how about the both of us take a half day off this afternoon? That way, it covers all the bases.”

“Works for me.” Harry stood up, yawning. “So, any idea what we wanna ask Leo this time around?”

“I’m sure I can come up with something in the car.”

——————

“So, half day off.” Dale said, rubbing his hands together. “What’re your plans?”

“I dunno. I was probably gonna rent a movie, maybe grab a drink, and go to bed early.”

They had both clocked out at 12, and Dale did not want to see such valuable time as a half day wasted. “Well, you could do that incredibly depressing thing, or you could take me around Twin Peaks, show me your favorite places. I’ve been here for a little bit already, but I still don’t know the town half as well as you do.”

“There’s not much to know. We’re a quaint little town in the woods, who just happen to have some very odd citizens. But every town has their own log lady.”

“Ah, but you see, no other town has this log lady. Your log lady is special. Different from every other log lady.” Just like how Harry was different from everyone else he had ever met. Willing to listen to his absurd ideas and go along for the ride. “To you, Twin Peaks isn’t special. But every town I visit is different, and has its own unique qualities about it.”

“I guess that’s true. Not every town has the murder of an 18 year old girl.”

“That’s not what I mean. There’s fantastic fishing spots, and some of the best coffee I’ve ever had, and those fantastic Douglas Firs.”

Harry smiled. “To be fair, you do say that every cup of coffee you have is the best cup of coffee you’ve ever had.”

“That very well may be true. But you get my point. To me, an outsider, Twin Peaks is special.”

“Yeah, ok. That makes sense.”

“And you would never live anywhere else.”

“No. I suppose not.”

Dale put a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “So, my Guide, where shall we head first?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

Dale, excitedly, hopped into Harry’s car. Harry still didn’t seem entirely convinced that anyone in their right mind could actually see Twin Peaks as an outsider and like it, but Dale could work on that later. It was enough just spending time with him. 

They drove for some time, until they came upon a rushing river, which spilled out into a waterfall. “Wow.” Dale said, in awe. “How many gallons does it push through a day?” 

“I have no idea. A lot.” 

Dale quickly got out of the car and approached the waterfall. The spray from it was undoubtedly soaking his jacket, hair, and face, but he didn’t really care. “Wow. That really is fantastic. Loud, too.”

“Yeah, incredibly. I know upstream there are a couple of places that use the river for power, and there’s an old-timey mill downstream that still grinds its corn with a water wheel.”

“Marvelous.” He knelt down and stuck his hand into the water. “It’s cold.”

“It comes down from the mountains. Snow runoff. It’s the spring, so the river is about as high as it’s going to get.”

“Does that make for good fishing?”

“Depends. Certain areas always get better fishing than others. And certain areas are banned from fishing, to protect local wildlife.”

“Oh, of course.” Dale stood, watching the majesty of the rushing water in silence. “This is top ten one of the most beautiful things in the world.”

“I’m glad you like it.” For once, Harry seemed genuinely proud of his town. “Now, get back in the car. We have other places to go.”

“Aye aye, Captain.” 

Dale eagerly hopped back into the car. After about a half an hour of driving, they reached their next destination. It didn’t seem like much at first, a rocky outcropping. But then, Harry pointed out the caves. 

“How deep are they?” Dale asked, sticking his head in. 

“No one’s really measured. But we’ve found a few with Native American artworks and artifacts inside of them.”

“Fascinating.” The sunlight didn’t reach far into the caves, so Dale pulled his flashlight out and shone it inside. Stalagmites and stalactites jutted out of the floors and ceilings, and the walls glittered with what seemed like gems. 

“It’s just quartz. Nothing special.” Harry added, noting Dale’s interest in the walls. “Makes it pretty though.”

“Like I said, Harry. Everything is special. The quartz may not be worth anything monetarily, but it adds a fantastic effect to the caves.”

“It’s like you look for the good in absolutely everything.” Though Dale couldn’t see Harry’s face in the dark, he could hear the smile in his voice. “Even after a murder, you’re still doing it.”

“Why not? There’s much more good in the world than there is bad. It’s usually right in front of you.” He reached down and picked up a small point of quartz. Shining his light against it, it seemed to glow in the dark of the cave. “Wow. Just amazing.” He shoved the quartz into his pocket and proceeded further into the cave. 

“We probably shouldn’t go too far. Don’t want to get lost.” Harry said. 

The entrance to the cave was quite a distance away, but it seemed pretty much straight. “Oh, come on. We can go a little further.”

Dale took two steps, felt the ground give way, and promptly fell into a hole. He managed to grab onto the edge, but his legs were hanging freely in a void.

“Damnit, Cooper.” Harry rushed over, grabbing Dale by the arm. After a few moments of struggling, he managed to drag Dale out of the hole. 

Dale sat on the floor of the cave, slightly shaken. “Well, that was a surprise.”

“I told you we shouldn’t go to far.” Harry sat down heavily beside him. “I told you–“

“It looks like I’ve lost my flashlight.” Dale muttered, patting his pockets. “Damn. I liked that flashlight.”

“Flashlights can be replaced, Cooper. You can’t.” There was a certain note of hurt in Harry’s voice that Dale had never heard before.

“Sorry. I didn’t know it was coming.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s just… shit, I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared in one moment than I have in my whole life.”

Dale reaches out and put a hand on Harry’s shoulder, in what he hoped would be a sign of reassurance. “Well, I’m alright now. Though we should probably make a sign or something to warn people coming into this cave.”

“Yeah. We probably should.”

Harry was far more shaken up by this than Dale had been. Dale stood and held a hand out. “Come on. I think we have enough time for one more stop before we should head back to our respective places of residency.”

“Alright.” Harry took Dale’s hand and stood. The brief moment of contact sent sparks through him, but he pushed them to the side. “There’s one more less dangerous place I can take you.”

They made their way carefully out of the cave and back to the car. This time, the ride to the mystery location was even longer, maybe an hour. By that point, the sun was beginning to set, and the chill of night was settling in. 

They finally pulled up to a ridge on a mountainside, at a kind of grassy plain. There was a vast view of the sky, without all of those Douglas Firs blocking the way. 

“Oh, this is the best one yet.” Dale said, sliding out of the car. He walked a ways into the field, and laid down on his back. “This is definitely the best place in Twin Peaks.”

“I come up here sometimes to think, when things are getting too hectic.” Harry sat down beside him, gazing up at the sky. “I’ve gotta ask, why do you even want to know all of this stuff about Twin Peaks? You’re not going to be here forever.”

“I’m a curious person, Harry. And I like to get to know the places I’m working, however temporary. Trust me, if it were my choice, I’d like to stay.”

“Here? Or in another one of the towns you’ve been to?”

“Preferably here.”

“Why?”

Well, for starters, Harry himself was a compelling reason to stay. But he couldn’t exactly spew that out. “Twin Peaks just has something about it. I don’t know. But it’s the first place I’ve been where I feel like I could make it a home.”

“I wish I had as much faith in the town as you.”

“I have a compelling reason to have faith.” Shit. Was that too much? Too close to flirting?

“Wanna share it?”

He really didn’t. Well, he did, but it wouldn’t come to any good. Maybe, if he veiled it… “You see, Harry, I’ve fallen in love.”

Harry seemed genuinely shocked at the revelation. “Really? With, uh, with who?”

“I’m not going to say their name, for their own confidentiality. But they’re an amazing, brilliant, adorable person, one who I might want to spend the rest of my life with, given the chance.” He deliberately made the pronouns ambiguous, to disguise it even further. “But, I don’t think I’ll ever get that chance.”

“How do you know?”

“Because they don’t feel the same. I think, given more time, they might come around to it, but given the fact that my time in Twin Peaks will be limited at most, I will be unable to gently introduce the topic.”

“You have to give me at least a little bit more information about the person if I can help you decide whether or not you have a chance.”

Dale smiled sadly. Though the sunset was painting gorgeous colors across the sky, his gaze was locked entirely on Harry. “Well, they’ve got a great sense of humor. And they love the town almost as much as I do. They’re determined, but stubborn. And he–“

Oh, no. “He? Your mysterious love interest is a guy?”

“Yes, Harry. It’s 1990. Guys liking other guys is no longer a foreign concept.”

“That’s not– that’s not what I meant.” Harry abruptly turned away. 

“So you don’t care that my mysterious love interest is another man?”

“No. Not at all. In fact…” Harry took a deep breath. “I might be in love with a guy myself.”

Every hesitation in Dale’s mind skidded to a halt. He sat up, Eye level with Harry. “Really? Who?”

“You didn’t tell me yours, I’m not telling you mine.”

Tough, but fair. “Alright, but you at least have to describe him to me.”

“Shit. Where do I begin? He’s smart, handsome, and has softer hands than anyone I’ve ever met.”

Dale tried to think about his own hands. Were they soft? He had never really thought about it, though he did moisturize. “Anything else?”

“He can also be a complete jackass sometimes, and sometimes I want to punch him in the face as much as I want to kiss him.”

And that was when Dale realized that Harry was definitely talking about him. Without another moment’s hesitation, he took Harry’s face in his hands and kissed him. And Harry kissed back. 

“I hope I was reading the mood right.” Dale said, upon pulling away. 

“I kissed back, didn’t I? Now, do it again, or I’ll arrest you for obstruction of justice.”

“Justice? That’s what you’re calling it?”

“Shut up and kiss me, Dale.” 

“Gladly.” 

Dale pressed his lips to Harry’s again, and he could feel Harry smiling into the kiss. This wasn’t how he expected the day to go down, but this was definitely better than whatever he had expected. 

As the sun set and darkness spread across the sky, the one thing that was on Dale’s mind was that he could not have been happier. 

“Dale.” Harry said, some time later. “What happens when you have to leave?”

Dale rested his head on Harry’s shoulder, watching the sky. “I’ll find a way to stay. If it means quitting the FBI, I’ll find a way.”

“Is that what you want?”

“Darling, you’re all I could ever want.” He smiled. “Is that too corny?”

“A little. But I love you anyways.”

“I love you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> I only started Twin Peaks today (well, yesterday at this point) but I watched almost the whole first season and I am in Love


End file.
